Fetal microchimerism as a participant of carcinogenesis
REVIEWS
Abstract
During pregnancy, a small number of cells are exchanged between the mother’s body and the fetus. This phenomenon is called microchimerism. Of particular interest is the study of the effect of microchimeric cells of the fetus on the mother’s body. Modern literary data give conflicting results about the relationship of fetal microchimeric (FM) cells with cancer. This can be due to various methodological approaches in the study of the FM cells (in bloodstream and in the tumor itself). Studies examining microchimeric cells circulating in peripheral blood often associate them with “protective function”, whereas research detecting microchimerism in affected tissues typically highlights their “negative or contributory role”. An interesting aspect is the placental origin of the majority of FM cells, which determines their high invasiveness. Combined with the genomic conflict between the mother and the fetus, invasion reduces resistance to tumor diseases. A number of studies showed the ability of FM to stimulate angiogenesis, which can significantly affect the metastasis of the tumor. Conversely, the production of cytokines by FM cells within a tumor microenvironment may improve disease prognosis. A major challenge in studying FM cells is their detection in the mother’s body. Most research has focused on women who gave birth to sons, as FM cells can be identified via the Y chromosome, a methodological bias that may skew results. Consequently, developing new methodological approaches to study FM cells could enhance our understanding of this phenomenon.
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